Jar-cap former



L. F. KULPQ JAR CAP FORMER. I APPLICATION FILED SEPT.5, I919.

1,418,939. Patented'June 6,1922,

. A Q I a @/E I LOUIS r. KULP, or ewyivnnn, PENNSYLVANIA.

JAR-GAP FORMER.

, Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 6,1922.

Application filed September 5, 1919. Serial 1T0. 321,781.

T 0 all w 720m it may concern:

Be it known that LOUIS F. KULP, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Gwynedd, in the county of Montgomery and State ofPennsylvania, has invented new and useful Improvements in Jar-CapFormers, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the-invention is to provide a simple and inexpensivehousehold device or utensil adapted to reform distorted jar and bottlecaps such as those used in connection with preserving jars and the like,to refitthem, with particular reference to their flanges, for eflicientuse when in the former use thereof they have become distorted as by thebending or deflection of the flanges under such conditions as to preventsecuring an air tight seal between the cap and the neck or shoulder ofthe jar.

It is a Well recognized fact that the removal of a jar cap, particularlywhen accomplished by means of a mechanical device engaging the cap by aclamping action, the cap is more or less distorted from a truecylindrical form, or the lip or flange with which such caps areordinarily provided as a means of aifording a bearing upon a rubber ringor gasket to secure an airtight joint is bent or deflected, so that uponsubsequent use of the cap an ineffective joint is formed with the resultthat air is not excluded and deterioration of the contents of the jarresults. It is with a view to reforming or re-shaping such distortedcaps, to re-adapt them for use under as favorable conditions asoriginally, that the device forming the subject matter of this inventionhas been designed, and it will be understood that while a preferredembodiment thereof is shown in the accompanying drawings, changes in theform and proportion thereof may be resorted to within the scope of theappended claims without departing from the principles involved.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side View partly broken away of the former.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the same.

Figure 3 is a detail view of the operating lever.

Figure 4: is a detail section showing a portion of a jar cap inoperative relation with the members of the former.

Essentially the device consists of complementary forming members 10 and11 of which the latter constitutes a base provided with an annularmandrel 12 having an external contour corresponding substantially withthe internal contour of the commercial jar cap or cover and including ashoulder 13 to support the flange or lip 14 of the cap or cover which isindicated at 15 in Figure l. The member 10 of the apparatus is ofannular form to fit down around the mandrel constituting the upper edgeof the base member and adapted to seat toward or upon the shoulder 13 soas to forcibly compress the interposed fiange or lip 14: of the jar capor cover and thus remove therefrom any waves or crimps which would tendto prevent forming an eflicient bearing of said flange or lip upon thepacking gasket of the jar. The mandrel represented by the portion of thebase member extending upward from the plane of the shoulder 13 isconical or upwardly tapered so that when the jar cap or cover is fittedthereon and forced downwardly by the operation of the movable member ofthe former, it is returned to a truly circular form in the event that ithas been distorted by a lateral pressure or distorting strain incidentto the use of a cap removing clamp or the. equivalent thereof. Themovable member of the former is preferably provided with a spider 16from which extends a stem 17 pivotally mounted as at 18 upon anoperating lever 19 which in turn is fulcrumed at 20 upon the base memberof the device, said movable member thus being adapted to have asufficient latitude of transverse movement to adapt itself to the jarcap or cover and apply pressureto the same in a direct-ion substantiallyaxial to the mandrel.

An extension 21 on the base member in the plane of the operating leverserves to add to the stability of the device by resisting any tendencyof the base member to tilt during the forcible operation of the lever.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for the purpose indicated consisting of complementaryforming members of which one constitutes a base provided with an annularmandrel having an exterior contour corresponding substantially with theinternal contour of a jar cap and including a shoulder to support theflange of such cap, the other of said members being provided with aspider having an up-standing stem, a lever fulcrumed upon the basemember and pivotally connected to said stem and extended to provide ahandle by means of which 10 on the base member and pivotally connectedto said upper member and extended to provide a handle, and an extensionon the base member diametrically opposite the fulcrum point of saidlever to resist any tendency of the base member to tilt during forcibleoperation of the lever.

In testimony whereof he affixes his signzv ture.

LOUIS F. KULP.

